Spencer Havner

UCLA inside linebacker Spencer Havner, the Pacific 10 Conference's leading tackler, will not play against Wyoming in the Las Vegas Bowl after having surgery Friday to remove cartilage from his right knee. Havner, a junior who finished with 125 tackles, was second nationally in solo tackles at 7.6 a game. He was one of 12 semifinalists for the Butkus Award and Rotary Lombardi Award and has 303 career tackles, ranking 11th in team history.

The Arizona Cardinals have come to terms on a two-year contract with free agent quarterback Derek Anderson. The one-time Pro Bowl quarterback comes to Arizona as the Cardinals look for someone to compete with Matt Leinart, the only quarterback the team has under contract after Kurt Warner's retirement. Anderson was released by Cleveland on March 9, ending an uneven five-year stint with the Browns. Anderson made the Pro Bowl in 2007 when he threw 29 touchdown passes and led the club to a 10-6 record.

It's near the end of a skeleton passing drill and UCLA linebacker Spencer Havner reads backup quarterback Brian Callahan like a book. Instead of dropping deep into coverage, Havner breaks early for the ball, catches it, and returns Callahan's pass for a touchdown. It's a typical play from a linebacker with a reputation for making big ones. "I just like to look at the quarterback and it usually takes me to the ball," said Havner, who has six interceptions in two seasons.

So this is why Spencer Havner passed up the NFL draft in order to return to UCLA for his senior season. Six games, six Bruin victories and a No. 9 BCS ranking for a program that for several seasons was mired in the shadow of cross-town rival USC, the two-time defending national champion. "It's been incredible to be a part of," said Havner, a linebacker who leads UCLA with 53 tackles. "To be 6-0 and in the top 10 ... this is what Coach Karl Dorrell said he wanted when he first came here.

In three seasons playing for UCLA, linebacker Spencer Havner has been a tackling machine with 288 stops. His secret has been his ability to play through pain. "The hardest part is getting yourself mentally ready, instead of thinking about what hurts," said Havner, who has played the last two weeks with an injured right hand and wore a protective cover in practice on Wednesday. "You just focus on playing. I try not to think about injuries, but sometimes that's tough."

So this is why Spencer Havner passed up the NFL draft in order to return to UCLA for his senior season. Six games, six Bruin victories and a No. 9 BCS ranking for a program that for several seasons was mired in the shadow of cross-town rival USC, the two-time defending national champion. "It's been incredible to be a part of," said Havner, a linebacker who leads UCLA with 53 tackles. "To be 6-0 and in the top 10 ... this is what Coach Karl Dorrell said he wanted when he first came here.

Brandon Chillar used to be the "leaper." He has three copies of Sports Illustrated to prove it, with that stunning double-page-spread photo of him blocking an extra-point attempt against Colorado. But Spencer Havner, his fellow UCLA linebacker, took over the job Saturday against California and blocked two field-goal attempts -- the second of which was scooped up by Chillar and returned 65 yards for a touchdown. "We switched this week," Chillar said.

The play was brilliant in its simplicity: With the defense stacking the line of scrimmage, send two receivers wide to the left, run them both on slant patterns to the inside, use the first receiver as a decoy to take the linebacker away from the second, who makes the catch and sprints downfield. But for San Diego State, the plan was flawed in that it was directed toward a player who is known for his uncanny ability to read quarterbacks, and one who is not easily duped.

UCLA linebacker Spencer Havner is captain of a defense that gave up more than 400 yards rushing in its first game ... and it's killing him. "This past weekend wasn't good at all," said Havner, who had a team-high 16 tackles in UCLA's 31-20 loss to Oklahoma State on Saturday. "It was pretty frustrating." Havner felt a little better after watching film of the game, because what he saw was a defense that, if anything, was trying too hard rather than not hard enough.

UCLA inside linebacker Spencer Havner, the Pacific 10 Conference's leading tackler, will not play against Wyoming in the Las Vegas Bowl after having surgery Friday to remove cartilage from his right knee. Havner, a junior who finished with 125 tackles, was second nationally in solo tackles at 7.6 a game. He was one of 12 semifinalists for the Butkus Award and Rotary Lombardi Award and has 303 career tackles, ranking 11th in team history.

In three seasons playing for UCLA, linebacker Spencer Havner has been a tackling machine with 288 stops. His secret has been his ability to play through pain. "The hardest part is getting yourself mentally ready, instead of thinking about what hurts," said Havner, who has played the last two weeks with an injured right hand and wore a protective cover in practice on Wednesday. "You just focus on playing. I try not to think about injuries, but sometimes that's tough."

The play was brilliant in its simplicity: With the defense stacking the line of scrimmage, send two receivers wide to the left, run them both on slant patterns to the inside, use the first receiver as a decoy to take the linebacker away from the second, who makes the catch and sprints downfield. But for San Diego State, the plan was flawed in that it was directed toward a player who is known for his uncanny ability to read quarterbacks, and one who is not easily duped.

UCLA linebacker Spencer Havner is captain of a defense that gave up more than 400 yards rushing in its first game ... and it's killing him. "This past weekend wasn't good at all," said Havner, who had a team-high 16 tackles in UCLA's 31-20 loss to Oklahoma State on Saturday. "It was pretty frustrating." Havner felt a little better after watching film of the game, because what he saw was a defense that, if anything, was trying too hard rather than not hard enough.

It's near the end of a skeleton passing drill and UCLA linebacker Spencer Havner reads backup quarterback Brian Callahan like a book. Instead of dropping deep into coverage, Havner breaks early for the ball, catches it, and returns Callahan's pass for a touchdown. It's a typical play from a linebacker with a reputation for making big ones. "I just like to look at the quarterback and it usually takes me to the ball," said Havner, who has six interceptions in two seasons.

Brandon Chillar used to be the "leaper." He has three copies of Sports Illustrated to prove it, with that stunning double-page-spread photo of him blocking an extra-point attempt against Colorado. But Spencer Havner, his fellow UCLA linebacker, took over the job Saturday against California and blocked two field-goal attempts -- the second of which was scooped up by Chillar and returned 65 yards for a touchdown. "We switched this week," Chillar said.

The Arizona Cardinals have come to terms on a two-year contract with free agent quarterback Derek Anderson. The one-time Pro Bowl quarterback comes to Arizona as the Cardinals look for someone to compete with Matt Leinart, the only quarterback the team has under contract after Kurt Warner's retirement. Anderson was released by Cleveland on March 9, ending an uneven five-year stint with the Browns. Anderson made the Pro Bowl in 2007 when he threw 29 touchdown passes and led the club to a 10-6 record.

Steve Henson's keys to the game, and how the Bruins measured up: 1. Tailback Tyler Ebell must run well against a Husky defense that is porous against the pass and stingy against the run: Ebell rushed for 102 yards, his fifth consecutive game of more than 100, and had three touchdowns on one-yard runs. 2.